High capacity gin stand



Aug. 16, 1966 E. H. BROOKS ETAL 2 HIGH CAPACITY GIN STAND Filed June 26,1962 7 Sheets-Sheet l VIIIKIIIIIIAIII Aug. 16, 1966 E. H. BROOKS ETAL3,266,101

HIGH CAPACITY GIN STAND Filed June 26, 1962 7 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTORS Esi/flea M 51751506? ZZ/QE/VE A4 Beaazs 1966 I E. H. BROOKS ETAL3,266,101

HIGH CAPACITY GIN STAND Filed June 26, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORSEa /020 A! fizz-50m? ,9- ems-rs 'Aug- 6, 1966 E. H. BROOKS ETAL 3,

HIGH CAPACITY GIN STAND Filed June 26, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 a6; 4 (V ,z

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HIGH CAPACITY GIN STAND Filed June 26, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 32 30,4420M'fi/zwmewe 2% it h Z 41 flag/0574M ATTORNEYS Aug.

Filed June 26, 1962 E. H. BROOKS ETAL HIGH CAPACITY GIN STAND '7Sheets-Sheet 6 1965 E. H. BROOKS ETAL 3,266,101

HIGH CAPACITY GIN STAND INVENTORS EMA/flea A7. 75180.?5

M fl g/$4M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,266,101 HIGH CAPACITY GINSTAND Eugene H. Brooks and Richard M. Shelburne, Sherman, Tex.,assignors to Hardwicke-Etter Company, Sherman,

Filed June 26, 1962, Ser. No. 205,245 9 Claims. (Cl. 19-57) Thisinvention relates to a dual cotton gin stand of new and improvedconstruction and ginning installations operative to accommodate theextremely high output afforded by the instant invention. Further, thisinvention contemplates the provision of a dual cotton gin stand with newand improved means for actuating the gin stand breast section and hullerfront.

Modern methods of harvesting cotton have given rise to increasedproduction demands of cotton gins in order that a seasons harvest may beprocessed in a short period of time. Earlier efforts to provide a ginstand of very high capacity have been addressed in varying degrees tothe provision of dual gin stands, such as disclosed in the Evans PatentsNo. 1,464,810, No. 1,464,811, No. 1,480,054 and No. 1,542,293. Otherefforts to increase ginning production have been directed to increasingthe saw speeds. These efforts have not been entirely successful in viewof the tendency of increasing fiber damage, reducing the staple lengthand the quality of ginning. Also, earlier efforts have been directed torelieving the friction of the roll box, thereby causing the roll to turnmore freely, as by power drive means. Efforts to increase capacity ofthe gin stands by increasing the gin saw diameter or the size of theroll box, :have still presented the problem of crowding the cottonthrough the rib gap with the attendant harmful results.

According to this invention, there is provided a dual gin stand of veryhigh capacity, the gin stand including two ginning stages positioned oneabove the other. In this regard, an additional saw cylinder and doflingmeans is provided which operates to accelerate the roll, strike the rollat places where unginned cotton is missed by the lower saw cylinder, andis capable of ginning approximately the same amount of cotton as thelower saw cyliner. A significant feature of the present inventionincludes means for providing a superior inflow of air to the upperginning stage, by virtue of providing an air flow intermediate the upperand lower ginning stages.

Further, this invention includes new and improved means for cleaning themote sweeps to prevent the latter from becoming clogged during theirrotary movement adjacent each saw cylinder.

This invention also contemplates the provision of a breast sectionactuating mechanism operative to move the breast section on tracksforwardly of the stationary casing in a new and improved manner, therealso being provided a huller front pivotally mounted to the breastsection actuating linkage, so that the huller front can be actuatedindependent of the breast section actuating means. Due to the greatervertical weight distribution of the dual gin stand, the construction andarrangement of this movable front portion of the gin stand provides asuperior ease of control with a minimum of adversestress on the movingparts.

Another feature of this invention resides in the provision of ginninginstallations operative to clean, condense, and press the ginned cotton,which installations include dual gin stands according to this invention,the installations Patented August 16, 1966 being operative to processthe ginned cotton in a notably superior manner. In this regard, cottonproduction is materially enhanced due to the high output of the instantdual gin stand, while the investment in the equipment is materiallyreduced. This is occasioned by the fact that only half the number of ginstands and extractor feeders are required to process the cotton, andattendant savings are realized in building construction, reduction inhorsepower requirements for the gin stands, and the like.

These and still further objects, advantages, and novel features of thepresent invention will become apparent in the specification and claimstaken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view in section of the dual gin standaccording to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a right side elevation of the dual gin stand;

FIGURES 2a and 2b are detail perspective views of the scratcher andscroll piece in the gin shown in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a left side elevation view of the dual gin stand;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the gin stand with the breast sectionmoved forward of the stationary casing;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the breast section actuating linkage;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 4, showing the breastsection moved forwardly, and the huller front pivoted to dump the roll;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the linkage operative to pivot thehuller front relative to the breast section;

FIGURE 8 is an elevation view of one embodiment of a ginninginstallation utilizing a battery of dual gin stands according to thisinvention;

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic view of the installation in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is an elevation view of another ginning installation accordingto this invention; and

FIGURE 11 is a diagrammatic plan view of the installation in FIGURE 10.

The dual gin stand Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a dual ginstand 10 having an inlet 11, communicating with upper and lower gins 12and .13, respectively. Upper and lower discharge outlets 14 and 15communicate with the respective upper and lower gins 12 and 13, theseoutlets extending horizontally from the gin stand 10 opposite the inletend.

The dual gin stand 10 includes a stationary casing -16 supported on thefloor, or the like, and carries at its front or inlet end a movablebreast section 17. This breast section is longitudinally movable towardsand away from the casing 16, through a linkage arrangement to beexplained. The breast section 17 pivotally carries at its front end 'ahuller front 18, which is movable by a linkage arrangement, likewise tobe explained. Tlwo concentric shafts pass transversely through thebreast section -17, the inner shaft 20 operatively carrying the breastsection actuating linkage, while the outer shaft 21 carries the hullerfront actuating linkage.

These mechanisms will be discussed hereinafter, and are here mentionedto describe the general structural arrangement of the dual gin stand 10.

The dual gin stand (FIGURE 1) will now be described in detail.

The bottom end of the huller front 18 communicates with a picker roll24. A reclaim saw cylinder 26 is positioned downwardly below andadjacent to the picker roll 24, a doffing brush 27 being positionedadjacent the reclaim saw cylinder 26. A bottom scroll 28 is positionedadjacent to and below the reclaim saw cylinder 26 in the usual fashion.The lower gin 1 3 includes a saw cylinder 30, split huller ribs 32 beingpositioned adjacent the outer periphery of the lower saw cylinder 30 inthe usual fashion. An auxiliary picker roll 34 is positioned adjacentthe upper ends of the split huller ribs 32 within the huller front 18.

A seed pan 36 is positioned for pivotal movement at the bottom front ofthe gin, stand, a spring-loaded directional valve plate 38 beingconnected to the seed pan 36 in the usual fashion. This huller frontconstruction is well known in the art and operates in the usual fashionas follows: the seed cotton enters the huller front 18 and falls intothe picker roll 24, then passes to the lower saw cylinder 30 through thehuller ribs 32. The hulls or sticks are obstructed by the huller ribs32, are thrown back by the auxiliary picker roll 34, where they arecarried around and passed to the reclaim saw cylinder 26 and are forcedover the hinged bottom scroll 28, falling by gravity onto the seed pan36. Here, the directional valve plate 38 may be set to either direct thebulls or sticks into a seed chute (not shown) or directed oppositely, tofall out and be separated from the seed.

Lint cotton that may be in the hulls which are forced over the bottomscroll will be picked up by the reclaim saw cylinder 26. The doffingbrush 27 runs at a higher peripheral speed than the reclaim saw cylinder26 so as to doff the lint cotton and pass it back to the picker roll 24and back to the lower saw cylinder 30.

The lower saw cylinder 30 is composed of 89 saws spaced at acenter-t-o-center distance of .763 inch. Lower ginning ribs 40 arepositioned between the saws of the lower saw cylinder 30, beingconnected at their upper ends to an angle plate 42. A roll box 44 ispositioned in communication with the lower saw cylinder 30 and the uppersaw cylinder 46 of the upper gin 1 2. The port-ion 48 of the lower ribs40 between the outer periphery of the lower saw cylinder 30 and theangle plate 42 is provided with a gap of approximately one-eighth inchso that the seed cannot pass through this gap, but only the line cottonpulled off from the seed. The upper saw cylinder 46 is composed of 88saws placed a distance of .763 inch center-to-center, there beingprovided upper ginning ribs 50 interposed between the saws connected attheir lower ends to the angle plate 42 and at their upper ends to anupper angle plate 52.

The saws in the upper saw cylinder 46 are axially displaced a distanceof .763 inch to space the saws directly between the saws of the lowersaw cylinder 30, so that unginned seeds not exposed to the lower sawcylinder 30 are exposed to the upper saw cylinder 46. The portion 51 ofthe upper ginning ribs 50 between the periphery of the upper sawcylinder 46 and the upper angle plate 52 are likewise provided with agap of approximately one-eighth inch. A front roll box door 54 definesthe forward end of the roll box 44, and adjustable seed fingers 56 arepositioned at the bottom of the roll box 44.

The upper saw cylinder 46 advantageously operates to accelerate theroll, striking the portions of the roll between the saw positions of thelower saw cylinder 30 where there is unginned seed. The upper sawcylinder 46 gins approximately the same amount of cotton as the lowersaw cylinder 30. The roll turns on around against the front roll boxdoor 54, passing over the adjustable seed fingers 56. The cleaned seedis permitted to fall downwardly between the lower ginning ribs 40 andthe split huller ribs 32 into the seed pan 36.

The upper saw-cylinder 46, by accelerating the turning action of theseed roll, enables the lower saw cylinder 30 to gin more cotton thannormally possible, due to this turning action.

The saws of the bottom saw cylinder 30 are 12 inches in diameter, whilethe saws of the upper. saw cylinder 46 are 11% inches in diameter; thesaws on the bottom saw cylinder have 282 teeth, while the saws in theupper saw cylinder 46 have only 264 teeth, thus making the size of theteeth in both saw cylinders the same. By virtue of this arrangement,after the saws on the lower saw cylinder have been filed down fromsharpening by approximately A; inch diameter from their original size,they may then be recut and used on the upper saw cylinder 46, therebyprolonging their useful life.

Positioned adjacent the lower saw cylinder. 30 opposite the roll box 44is an upwardly curved and adjustable scroll 58, or'mote blade. This areaabove the curved scroll 58 receives motes driven from the lower sawcylinder 30, .and carries a mote sweep 60 in the form of a shaft havinga flexible paddle 62 carried there by, for engagement with the circularupper surface of the scroll 58. A mote conveyor 64 is positionedadjacent the lower mote sweep 60, and takes the form of a screw conveyoroperative to convey the motes transversely out of the gin stand 10 to bedropped into a refuse line (not shown) to be carried away.

Carried adjacent the upper end of the mote conveyor 64-arelongitudinally extending, downwardly inclined scratchers 66 which extendinto the path of the flexible paddle 62 of the mote sweep 60 to scratchoff any accumulation of lint that might be on the paddle 62. Thisarrangement advantageously prevents the mote sweep 60 from wrapping withlint cotton. The scratcher 66 is in the form of a notched, angularlydepending plate 67 '(FIG. 2A) which plate is longitudinally adjustableby virtue of upstanding bolts 68 passing through longitudinal slots (notshown). Preferably, the points of the scratcher 66 are approximately 1/2 inches apart at their lower free end. A housing 69 surrounds theconveyor 64 and it may be provided with a suitable access door (notshown) and a top cover plate 70.

A dofiing brush 72 is positioned adjacent the lower saw cylinder 30 inthe known manner to doif the lint from the saws. The lower dofling brush72 is enclosed by a bottom scroll piece 74 which is spaced from thelower saw cylinder 30 at its adjacent end, leaving a gap 76therebetween. The opposite end of the bottom scroll piece 74 isdownwardly flanged at 78. A bottom duct scroll 80 defines a portion ofthe outlet passage 15, this duct scroll 80 being spaced from the flangedend 78 of the bottom scroll 74, leaving an air inlet gap 82.

A usual air cutoff plate 84, longitudinally adjustable, is carried by aduct plate 86 which defines the remaining portion of the bottom outlet15. The usual vertically adjustable air gap 88, above the air cut-offplate 84, admits a small volume of air to the dofling brush 72 to keepthe chamber above the brush 72 clean and otherwise clear ofaccumulation.

The upper gin 12 is arranged generally similar to the lower gin 13.Positioned above and adjacent to the upper saw cylinder 46 is anadjustable scroll piece 90 (FIGURE 2b). The scroll piece 90 is connectedto the gin stand by a mounting bolt 91 which passes through a verticalslot 91 in the adjacent wall of the casing to thereby provide verticaladjustment. The inner surface of the scroll piece 90 adjacent to thebolt 91 has a horizontally extending hump or crowned portion 92; andleveling set screws 93 and positioned above and below this horizontalhump portion 92. When the mounting bolt 91 is tightened at its desiredvertical position, the scroll piece 90 may be tilted by suitableadjustment of the set screws 93 in order to tiltthe lower end of .airgap 128, which is the low-pressure area.

the scroll piece 90, to insure proper positioning relative to the upperside of the saw cylinder 46. This arrangement provides clearance for theamount of moting to be accomplished by the upper saw cylinder 46, i.e.,more clearance affords greater moting, while less clearance affords areduced moting.

A curved scroll 94, or mote blade, is positioned adjacent the upperperiphery of the upper saw cylinder 46, operative in a manner generallysimilar to the scroll 58. As with the lower gin 13, an upper mote sweep96, carrying a flexible paddle 98 is positioned for sweeping the motesalong the upper surface of the scroll 94, this scroll 94 thence mergingto an adjacent circular scroll 100. A rear mote sweep 102, havingopposed extending flexible paddles 104, 106 is positioned for sweepingthe upper surface of the adjustable circular scroll 100; and atransverse mote conveyor 110 is positioned downstream of and adjacent tothe rear mote sweep 102.

Further, depending adjustable scratchers 112 identical to the scratchers66 operate to clean the lint which is accumulated on the paddles 104,106.

Pivotal access doors 11 4, 115 mounted to the top 0 the stationarycasing 16 provide access to the mote conveyor 110 and the mote sweeps96, 102, respectively. An upper dofling brush 118 is positioned slightlyabove the axis of the upper saw cylinder 46 and in communication withthe upper outlet duct 14. The upper outlet duct 14 includes a top plate120 carrying an adjustable air cutoff plate 122, this portion of theoutlet duct having the usual air gap 124 above the air cutoff plate 122for keeping the chamber clean.

According to one important feature of the present invention, the dofiingbrush 118 is enclosed at its lower end by a scroll piece 126 which ispositioned in spaced apart relationship above the cover plate 70 of thelower mote conveyor 64. The inner end of this scroll piece 126 is spacedapart from the upper saw cylinder 46, defining an air inlet gap 128.

The scroll piece 126 has a downwardly flanged outer end 130 and defineswith a bottom duct plate 132 an air inlet gap 134. The air inlet gap134, as with the air gap 82, is a safety feature to prevent a blockageof the air flow and lint in the outlet ducts 14 and 15 which lead fromthe gin stand to the lint flue (not shown). The air and lint underback-pressure may escape from these gaps so as not to back up into theteeth of the saw cylinders and break the ribs. However, the spaced apartrelationship of the scroll piece 126 with reference to the conveyorplate 70 allows air to enter the This arrangement operates to admit airrequired for the upper dofiing brush 118 so that after the lint isdotted from the upper saw cylinder 46 the lint can be carried throughthe outlet duct 14 and out of the dual gin stand 10. By virtue of thisarrangement there is a reduction of floor space due to the gin stagesbeing positioned in vertical relationship to one another. Eflicientoperation of the upper gin is not sacrificed due to an inadequate airsupply.

The breast section lift assembly As previously stated, the breastsection 17 of the gin stand 10 is connected to the stationary casing 16so that the same may be moved forward and away from the stationarycasing 16, out of the ginning position.

FIGURE 2 shows the right side [of the gin stand 10 with the variouselements positioned for operation as shown in FIGURE 1.

This right side of the gin stand 10 carries a breast lift lever 150,which is operatively connected to the inner transverse shaft 20 to movethe breast section 17 (together with the huller front 18) away from thestationary casing 16. As will now be explained, the breast section 17 ismounted for longitudinal movement on a track arrangement when linkage onboth sides of the gin stand 10 is actuated by the breast lift lever 150.

FIGURE 4 shows the breast section 17 moved away from the stationarycasing, while FIGURE 5 shows the actuating linkage. Like numerals on theleft side of the gin stand 10 (FIGURES 3 and 6) refer to the sameelements.

The breast section 17 is formed of a side plate 152 (FIGURES 2 and 3)having an inclined inner end 154 adapted to be positioned rearwardlyadjacent the stationary casing 16. This side plate 152 carries anoutwardly extending peripherally recessed roller 156 mounted on abearing shaft 158. The stationary casing 16 carried a forwardlyextending upper supporting bracket 164 for supporting the roller 156,the top surface 168 (FIGURE 4) thereof being of a cooperatively crownedconfiguration and constituting a track for receiving the upper roller156. In the preferred form this crown-and-recess engagement may take theform of a V-shaped peripheral recess in the roller 156 while the track168 is upwardly V-shape-d in transverse section. Thus, the breastsection 17 is carried by these upper rollers 156 on both sides thereof.Suitably bent guide bars 170 are carried above the track 168 to serve asa safety device to prevent the breast section 17 from rolling off thetrack 168 in the front position when the associated linkage isdisconnected for dismantling the breast section 17 from the gin stand,or the like. A machined stop 172, mounted at the rearward end of thetrack 168 and part of the bracket 164, limits the inward path ofmovement of the roller 156.

As will now be explained, linkage is provided for moving the rollers 156into their outer position, wherein the breast section 17 is separatedfrom the stationary casing 16. The forward end of the stationary casing16 carries a downwardly inclined mounting bracket 174 spaced roarwardilyand upwardly of the concentric shafts 20 and 22. This bracket 174carries a latching plate 176 having a detent 178 in its upper surface.The lever 150 is drivingly joined, as by a keyway connection, to theinner shaft 20, in alignment with the latching plate 176. The lever 150conveniently carries a push-button locking linkage 180, of thewell-known type, so that when the lever is in its vertical position,FIGURE 2, the locking linkage 180 is engaged with the detent 178 on thelatching plate 176. This constitutes a locked position, so that duringoperation of the gin stand 10 inadvertent movement of the breast section17 is prevented.

The inner shaft 20 also drivingly carries a bell crank 182 as by akeyway connection. This bell crank has an upright first link 184 whichis slightly over-center when in the closed position (FIGURE 2) and aforwardly and downwardly extending second link having a pivot pin 186.The mounting bracket 174 carries a clevis rod 188 which is of generallyJ-shaped configuration and is pivotally connected to the second link at186 at its curved free end 190. This clevis rod 188 is longitudinallyadjustable by a threaded connection 189 so that the same is operative topull the breast section 17 towards the stationary casing 16, to a pointwhere the roller 156 just abuts a machined surface of the bracket 164,when the lever 150 is in the latched position. The first link 184carries an arcu-ate link 192 which extends forwardly and downwardlyrelative to the shaft 20. The opposite lower end of this arcuate link192 carries a tie rod 194 by an adjustable threaded connection 196(FIGURE 2). This tie rod 194 extends downwardly and slightlyre-arwardly, being pivotally joined at its bottom end 198 to the upperlink 200 of a bell crank 202. This be l-l crank 202 is pivoted to theside plate 152 adjacent the stationary casing 16 and has a downwardlyextending, overcenter arm 204. A lower breast lift lever 206 ispivotally connected to the stationary casing 16 at 208, this lever 206being pivotally connected to the bell crank arm 204 of the bell crank202,'at 210.

The inner shaft 20, carrying this link-age, is independently rotatablewith respect to the outer shaft 22. When the breast section 17 is in theginning position, it is locked 7 in place, as stated, and when thebreast section 17 is to be moved forward (FIGURE 4), the operatordepresses the push-button linkage 180 and pivots the lever arm 150forwardly and downwardly, thereby rotating the bell crank 182 on theshaft 20.

When this occurs, the upper portion of the breast section 17 is forcedoutwardly along the track 168 by virtue of the fact that the second link186 causes a separation from the secondary casing 16 due to itsconnection with wAgile clevis rod 188, which latter arrangement isconnected to the casing 16. In other words, the top section is pushedaway by the force transmitted to the breast section 17. Also, thismovement of the bell crank 182 rotates the shaft link 184 downwardlycausing the tie rod 194 to move downwardly. This downward movementpivots the bell crank 202 in a counterclockwise direction (FIGURE 2)which force is transmitted to a separating force between the bell crankann 204 and the lever 206, pivotally connected to the casing 16. Byvirtue of this arrangement, the lower end of the breast section 17 aswell as the top portion, are both pushed out with an even distributionof force.

The same linkage is provided on the left side of the machine (FIGURES 3and 6) so that no unbalanced stresses are placed on the structure duringthis movement. When it is desired to move the breast section 17 back tothe closed position, the lever 150 is simply moved upwardly towards thestationary casing 16 whereby the movement is reversed. When the extremeposition is reached, the locking linkage 180 and the latch plate 176 areengaged. By virtue of the over eenter arrangement of the bell crank 182,any force exerted by the breast section 17 will not be transmitted tothe breast lift lever 150.

In order to limit the movement of the breast section 17 in the outerposition, the lever 206 carries a set screw 211. When the arm 204 andthe lever 206 are straightened out and slightly over center, theadjustable set screw 211 abuts the arm 204, stopping further rotation ofthe bell crank 202 (FIGURES 4 and 6). This occurs before the rollers 156reach the outer end of the rack 168 and before they touch the bar 170.

The roll dump assembly In order to dump a roll, the huller front 18 ispivotally connected to the front end of the breast section 17. In thisregard, the huller front 18 includes a side plate 212 (FIGURES 3 and 7)having a support plate 214 welded to the top of the side plate 212 atits one end, and freely pivotally connected to the breast section sideplate 152 via a transverse bolt connection 216. While both sides of thegin stand carry linkage to accomplish this pivotal movement, the leftside of the gin stand (FIGURES 3, 6 and 7) carries a roll dump actuatinglever 218 for accomplishing this purpose.

The roll dump lever 218 is drivingly joined, as by a keyway connection220 to the outer shaft 21. This outer shaft 21 also carries, as by akeyway connection, a bell crank 222. This bell crank 222 has first andsecond arms 224 and 226 mounted in opposed relationship to one another,the first arm 224 extending forwardly and upwardly relative to thestationary casing 16, the second arm extending oppositely therefrom. Anactuating lever 228 is pivotally connected to the free end of the firstarm 224, the lever 228 having an elongated slot 230 at this pivotconnection, for reasons to become apparent. The actuating lever 228extends downwardly along the side of the breast section side plate 152,which has a pivot joint 232 at its lower end. Connected to this pivotjoint 232 is linkage taking the form of an angularly extending arm 234,pivotally connected at its one end to the joint 232, its opposite freeend 236 (FIGURE 3) being pivotally connected to the side plate 152 ofthe breast section 17. Another angularly extending arm 238 is connectedto the pivot joint 232 at the bottom of the actuating lever 228, itsopposite free end 239 being pivotally connected to the side plate 212 ofthe huller front 18 at 239. The second arm 226 carries a threadedlatching rod 240 which is longitudinally adjustable and operative tolock the huller front 18 adjacent the breast section 17 when in theclosed position (FIGURE 3), but upon movement of the lever 218 and itsbell crank 222, the rod 240 is moved upwardly to free the two parts sothat the huller front 17 can be pivoted outwardly (FIGURE 6).Accordingly, the breast section side plate 152 carries a tubular socket242 conveniently in the form of a longitudinally recessed flanged plate.Carried by the huller front side plate 212 is a rearwardly extendinglatching member 243 which has a recess for alignment with the tubularsocket 242 when the plates 212 and 152 abut one another. The latchingrod 240 carries a pivoted locking pin 244, FIGURE 7, which is normallyreceived in the socket 242 and the latching member 243, but upon upwardmovement thereof the connection between these two elements is freed sothat the pivotal movement of the huller front 18 is not obstructed.

For operating the roll dump mechanism, the actuating lever 218 ispivoted forwardly and downwardly, rotating the outer shaft 21 and thebell crank 222. The movement causes the actuating lever 228 to movedownwardly along its axis thereby pivoting the huller front 18 outwardlydue to the combination of the angular relationship of the arms 234 and238 which are pivoted downwardly, causing an expansion of the distancebetween their pivot connection to the breast section side plate 152 andthe huller front plate 212.

As stated, there is provided a slotted connection between the arm 224and the lever 228 so that a lost motion is provided before downwardmovement of the actuating lever 228 takes placewhen lever 228 is firstmoved. This allows the second arm 226, which is moving upwardly, tofirst release the latching connection of the pin 224 with the socket 242carried by the breast section 17 and the aligned latching member carriedby the side plate 212 of the huller front 18.

Thus, by virtue of this lost motion arrangement, the elements areunlatched from one another before the pivotal movement of the hullerfront 18 begins. Of course, this movement is independent of the movementof the breast section relative to the stationary casing 16 in view ofthe fact the concentric shafts 20 and 21 are not drivingly connected toone another. A similar linkage is provided on the right side of the ginstand 10 (FIGURE 2) wherein like numerals refer to identical elements.FIGURE 6 shows the huller front 18 pivoted outwardly of the breastsection 17.

For pivoting the huller front 18 back to its closed position, the lever218 is simply pivoted oppositely, causing the bell crank 222 to movecounterclockwise, so that the reverse movement takes place and thehuller front 18 is again latched to the breast section 17.

The ginning installation with the dual gin stand In view of the veryhigh capacity of the dual gin stand 10, and the number of bales per hourcapable of being processed, there is raised the problem of handling thishigh amount of lint cotton for cleaning purposes. According to anotherfeature of the present invenion, here are provided installations forhandling the lint cotton for cleaning purposes which are processedthrough the dual gin stand, or a battery of such gin stands asdescribed.

FIGURES 8 and 9 show a ginning installation which includes dual ginstands 10a and 10b according to this invention, while FIGURES 10 and 11show an installation including three gin stands 10a, 10b and accordingto this invention. In these installations, the output from the upper andlower gin stages 12 and 13 are fed to separate lint cleaners which mightbe desired to accommodate the high capacity of each of the dual ginstands, to thereby prevent overloading of any of the lint cleaning sawcylinders.

Referring now to FIGURES 8 and 9, there is shown a longitudinal building250 having a raised floor 252 merging with a lower floor 254. The dualgin stands 10a and 10b are mounted on the raised floor 252 inside-by-side relationship. A platform 256, supported by stanchions 258,extends from the lower floor 254 above the gin stands 10a and 1012. Thisplatform 256 carries upper lint cleaners 260a, each of these lintcleaners being connected to the respective upper discharge outlets 14 ofeach of the dual gin stands 10a and 10b.

Likewise, the floor 254 below the platform 256 carries lower lintcleaners 262a which are connected to the respective lower dischargeoutlets 15 of each of the dual gin stands 10a and 10b. In this regard,ducts 264 provide communication with the upper discharge outlets 14 andthe upper lint cleaners 260a while ducts 266 connect the lower dischargeoutlets 15 with the lower lint cleaners 262a. Thus, there is providedfor each dual gin stand two separate lint cleaners to accommodate theextremely high capacity of the gin stands and otherwise allow a smoothconveyance of the cotton.

The cotton is conveyed to the gin stands 10a and 10b via an overheadscrew conveyor distributor 268 leading from a cleaning and drying system(not shown), communicating with each of the dual gin stands 10a and 10bby a hopper 270 and an extractor feeder 272 mounted on the top of eachdual gin stand. The downstream end of the conveyor 268 communicates withan overflow stall 274, as is well known in the art. The upper floor 252below the dual gin stand 10a and 10b carries a transversely extendingseed conveyor 276 and a hull conveyor 278, while a prime mover, such asan electric motor 280, operates each gin stand 10a and 10b.

The lint cleaners 260a and, 262a are known in the art, and are shown tobe of single stage construction. Alternatively, the lint cleaners can beof the two-stage type, as disclosed in the patent to Shelburne, No.3,027,- 604. A by-pass duct 282 communicates with the upper duct 264 andan upper transverse lint flue 284. By virtue of this arrangement, thelint cleaner can be by-passed entirely by suitable valving (not shown)which optionally directs the ginned cotton through the upper duct 264through the by-pass duct 282 and into the lint flue 284. Also a trashmanifold 286 extends transversely of the upper lint cleaners 260a toconvey away trash removed by the upper lint cleaners 260a. An exhaustduct 288, carrying a fan 290 is joined to the condenser of the upperlint cleaners 260a and communicates with the upper edge of the building250.

The lower lint cleaners 262a are constructed in an identical fashion,there being provided a by-pass duct 292 connected at its one end to thelower duct 266 and at its other end to a lower transverse lint flue 294.An exhaust duct 296 carrying a fan 298 provides communication of eachlower lint cleaner 262a with the exterior of the building. The lowerfloor 254 is recessed toreceive a trash manifold 300.

As best shown in FIGURE 9, the lint flues 284 and 294 merge with oneanother downstream of the lint cleaners 260a and 262a into a duct 302which, in turn, connects with a condenser 304, of the well-known type.The condenser connects with a press 306 via a lint slide 308 as is knownin the art, and a fan-carrying exhaust duct 310 provides communicationbetween the condenser 304 and the exterior of the building.

The installation shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 is particularly well suitedfor processing the quantity of cotton that can be conveniently handledby a single press or baling device as is presently available in the art.

In FIGURES l0 and 11, there is shown a generally similar installationwhich is of a larger capacity. In this modification, separate condensersand presses are provided for handling the cotton from each of the upperand lower transverse line flues 284 and 294. This arrangement, as withthe arrangement shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, is-constructed to provide twolint cleaners for each dual gin stand 10, one lint cleaner above theother.

Referring now to FIGURES l0 and 11, wherein like numerals refer tosimilar elements, the platform 256 carries a two-stage lint cottoncleaner 312 of the type disclosed in the patent to Shelburne, No.3,027,604. A second trash conveyor 314 is operative to convey trash fromthe lint cleaning first stage while the trash conveyor 286 carries trashaway from the second stage. Likewise, the bottom outlet 15 of the ginstand 10a communicates with a lower, two-stage lint cleaner 316 via theduct 266 and a second trash conveyor 318 is operative to convey awaytrash from the first lint cleaning stage of the lint cleaner 316. Asbest shown in FIGURE 11, the lint flues 284 and 294 do not merge withone another as in FIGURE 9, but the upper flue 284 communicates with acondenser 320, while the lower flue 294 communicates with a condenser322. Each of these condensers are provided with exhaust ducts 324 and326, respectively. Communicating with each condenser via separate lintslides 328 and 330 are separate presses 332 and 334, respectively. Inthe operation of this arrangement, it is apparent that the ginned cottonfrom the upper outlets 14 of each of the dual gin stands 10a, 10b andare successively pressed in the press 332, while the output from thelower outlets 15 of each of these gin stands is eventually pressed at334.

By virtue of this arrangement, the cleaning and pressing equipment isoperative to accommodate at higher capacity of the battery of dual ginstands, and otherwise enhances ginning production.

From the foregoing description of the various embodiments of thisinvention, it is evident that the objects of this invention, togetherwith many practical advantages are successfully achieved. Whilepreferred embodiments of my invention have been described, numerousfurther modifications may be made without departing from the scope ofthis invention.

Therefore, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth orshown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted in anillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A dual gin stand of high ginning capacity comprising: a casing havinga top, a bottom, an inlet side and an outlet side; rneans defining withsaid inlet side a single roll chamber; an upper ginning stage disposedwithin said casing, said upper stage including an upper saw cylinderlying partially in said roll chamber and further including upper doffingmeans opposite said upper saw cylinder; a lower ginning stage withinsaid casing, said lower stage including a lower saw cylinder lyingpartially in said roll chamber below and parallel to said upper sawcylinder, said lower stage further including lower doffing meansopposite said lower saw cylinder and lower mote handling means disposedadjacent said lower saw cylinder above said lower dofling means andbelow said upper dofling means, said lower mote handling means includingan upper surface covering a portion of said handling means; separate,vertically spaced lint exhaust ducts communicating with said upper andlower doffing means and extending to said outlet side, each of saidducts being defined at least in part by a scroll spaced from therespective dofling means, the scroll associated with said lower doffingmeans providing an air inlet passage through the bottom of said casingto a low pressure point adjacent said lower saw cylinder, and the lowersurface of the scroll associated with said upper dofling means definingwith the upper surface of said lower mote handling means an air inletpassage which is disposed between said exhaust ducts and which extendsthrough the outlet side of said casing to a low pressure point adjacentsaid upper saw cylinder, said air inlet passages thereby providing forefficient operation of said gin stages by supplying air for carryingaway lint from said saw cylinders and doffing means, the arrangement ofsaid upper stage above said lower stage thereby reducing the floor spaceoccupied by said gin stand.

2. A gin stand as in claim 1 wherein the ends of said inlet passages aredefined by a gap formed between the inner end of the respective scrolland the respective saw cylinder.

3. A gin stand as in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower dofiing meansare disposed between their respective saw cylinders and said outletside, said roll chamber being disposed on the opposite side of said sawcylinders from said upper and lower dofiing means.

4. .A gin stand as in claim 3 wherein said lower mote handling meansincludes a rotatable mote sweep disposed adjacent said lower sawcylinder and above said lower doffing means, a mote conveyor forreceiving motes from said mote sweep and for conveying motes out of saidgin stand in a direction parallel to the axes of said saw cylinders anda housing enclosing said mote conveyor, a portion of the exterior ofsaid housing defining said upper surface of said mote handling means.

5. A'gin stand comprising: means defining a roll box; a saw cylinderoperating partially in said roll box; a rotary dotfing means adjacentsaid saw cylinder; a rotary mote sweep adjacent said saw cylinder andincluding a shaft which carries at least one radially extending flexiblepaddle; scratcher means associated with said mote sweep for cleaningaccumulated lint from the paddle; said scratcher means including astationary plate having a longitudinal axis extending parallel to theshaft of said mote sweep and further having 'a plurality of scratcherpoints extending generally toward the shaft of said mote sweep andterminating in the path of movement of the paddle so as to be contactedthereby.

6. A gin stand as in claim 5 wherein said scratcher points are generallytriangular and are formed by notches in one edge of said plate.

7. A gin stand as in claim 6 wherein said plate is generally V-shaped intransverse cross section, said notches being formed in one leg of the Varid further comprising fastening means associated with theg other legof the V for adjustably securing the plate transllyersely of itself.

8. A gin stand comprising: a horizontally disposed saw cylinder; a rollbox disposed on one side of said saw posed adjacent said saw cylinderand between said dofiing means and said roll box, said moting meansincluding a mote blade and a rotatable mote sweep disposed on theopposite side of the blade from said saw cylinder; a scroll disposedadjacent said saw cylinder at a location between said roll box and saidmoting means; and means mounting said scroll for adjustment toward andaway from said saw cylinder whereby adjustment of the clearance betweensaid scroll and said sawcylinder controls the amount of moting performedby said moting means.

9. A gin stand as in claim 8 wherein said scroll is linearly adjustablein a direction transverse to the axis of said saw cylinder and isrotatably adjustable about an axis parallel to the axis of said sawcylinder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 296,659 4/1884Webb 19-58 462,189 10/1891 Bachman 19-57 504,023 8/1893 Davis et a1.19-57 508,126 11/1893 Bachman 19-57 555,789 3/1896 Munger 19-39 865,2329/1907 Bradford 19-64 1,124,094 1/1915 Wooldridgc 19-58 1,175,193 3/1916Taylor 19-56 1,220,879 3/1917 Mullen 19-58 1,278,649 9/ 1918 Henry.1,436,372 11/ 1922 Vardell 19-55 1,460,220 6/1923 Allen 19-60 1,464,8108/1923 Evans 19-57 1,542,293 6/1925 Evans 19-59 2,137,744 11/1938 Streun19-55. 2,155,181 4/1939 Deems 19-55 2,187,673 1/ 1940 Wallace 19-562,418,694 4/1947 Brooks 19-39 2,658,239 11/1953 Day 19-59 2,776,455 1/1957 McGregor 19-58 2,977,641 4/1961 Brooks 19-57 X 3,162,902 12/1964Wallace 19-59 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. DONALD W. PARKER,Examiner. D. NEWTON, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DUAL GIN STAND OF HIGH GINNING CAPACITY COMPRISING: A CAUSINGHAVING A TOP, A BOTTOM, AN INLET SIDE AND AN OUTLET SIDE; MEANS DEFININGWITH SAID INLET SIDE A SINGLE ROLL CHAMBER; AN UPPER GINNING STAGEDISPOSED WITHIN SAID CASING, SAID UPPER STAGE INCLUDING AN UPPER SAWCYLINDER LYING PARTIALLY IN SAID ROLL CHAMBER AND FURTHER INCLUDINGUPPER DOFFING MEANS OPPOSITE SAID UPPER SAW CYLINDER; A LOWER GINNINGSTAGE WITHIN SAID CASING, SAID LOWER STAGE INCLUDING A LOWER SAWCYLINDER LYING PARTIALLY IN SAID ROLL CHAMBER BELOW AND PARALLEL TO SAIDUPPER SAID CYLINDER, SAID LOWER STAGE FURTHER INCLUDING LOWER DOFFINGMEANS OPPOSITE AND LOWER SAW CYLINDER AND LOWER MOTE HANDLING MEANSDISPOSED ADJACENT SAID LOWER SAW CYLINDER ABOVE SAID LOWER DOFFING MEANSAND BELOW SAID UPPER DOFFING MEANS, SAID LOWER MOTE HANDLING MEANSINCLUDING AN UPPER SURFACE COVERING A PORTION OF SAID HANDLING MEANS;SEPARATE, VERTICALLY SPACED LINT EXHAUST DUCTS COMMUNICATING WITH SAIDUPPER AND LOWER DOFFING MEANS AND EXTENDING TO SAID OUTLET SIDE, EACH OFSAID DUCTS BEING DEFINED AT LEAST IN PART BY A SCROLL SPACED FROM THERESPECTIVE DOFFING MEANS, THE SCROLL ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LOWER DOFFINGMEANS PROVIDING AN AIR INLET PASSAGE THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF SAID CASINGTO A LOW PRESSURE POINT ADJACENT SAID LOWER SAW CYLINDER, AND THE LOWERSURFACE OF THE SCROLL ASSOCIATED WITH SAID UPPER DOFFING MEANS DEFININGWITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID LOWER MOTE HANDLING MEANS AN AIR INLETPASSAGE WHICH IS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID EXHAUST DUCTS AND WHEN EXTENDSTHROUGH THE OUTLET SIDE OF SAID CASING TO A LOW PRESSURE POINT ADJACENTSAID UPPER SAW CYLINDER, SAID AIR INLET PASSAGES THEREBY PROVIDING FOREFFICIENT OPERATION OF SAID GIN STAGES BY SUPPLYING AIR FOR CARRYINGAWAY LINT FROM SAID SAW CYLINDERS AND DOFFING MEANS, THE ARRANGEMENT OFSAID UPPER STAGE ABOVE SAID LOWER STAGE THEREBY REDUCING THE FLOOR SPACEOCCUPIED BY SAID GIN STAND.